Plug-in solar by state › Colorado
In effectLaw checked Oct 13, 2026 against HB 26-1007 final passed text · Last change: HOA rules dated January 1, 2027; sale, lease or rent; codes and liability added · Change log
Colorado allows the largest plug-in systems in the country, up to 1,920 W, and took effect August 12, 2026. Above 391 W, plan on a licensed electrician: only devices of 391 W or less are exempt from the state’s solar installation law. And 1,920 W is more than a standard 15 A outlet circuit is built for.
What you can build today
Up to 391 W: yes. A listed microinverter on a standard outlet. The law waives code and listing rules that would require rewiring at this size (§ 40-2-140(5)).
Over 391 W: no plug-in path yet. No complete system is certified, and the certificates call for a locking outlet and two-way GFCI not on sale. A permitted, hardwired install is the route.
Always an option: a permitted, hardwired system under NEC 690 and 705 with your utility’s approval, or an off-grid power station that never connects to house wiring. UL Solutions notes the 2026 NEC “does not recognize the use of plug-in photovoltaic (PIPV) modules”; NFPA expects them in the 2029 edition (source). Where a law requires the NEC and gives no size waiver, the inspector decides. Sun Safe’s reading, not legal advice.
- Limit
- 1,920 W to the grid, with a 391 W small-device tier
- Law
- HB 26-1007
- Signed
- May 7, 2026
- Effective
- August 12, 2026
What the law says
| Size limit | 1,920 W supplied to the grid |
|---|---|
| How it’s measured | One system per address, and no more than one device per wall outlet. |
| 391 W tier | Devices of 391 W or less are exempt from the state’s solar installation requirements and from code or listing rules that would require rewiring. |
| Above 391 W | Plan on a licensed electrician. The law exempts only devices of 391 W or less from the solar installation requirements of C.R.S. 40-2-128 (§ 40-2-140(5)). Our reading, shared by utilities such as La Plata Electric: above 391 W, 40-2-128 applies: on-site supervision by a NABCEP-certified PV professional or a licensed electrician, and all work on the AC side of the inverter by an electrical contractor employing a licensed journeyman electrician or residential wireman. |
| Listing | Labeled and listed by an NRTL. From January 1, 2027, devices over 391 W can’t be sold, leased or rented unless UL labeled and listed (§ 40-2-140(6)). |
| Outage protection | Required. |
| Utility notice | The utility may ask you to report the device and its size in kilowatts. |
| Utility approval and fees | No approval, fees or extra equipment beyond what the UL listing includes. |
| HOAs and property owners | From January 1, 2027: no one can unreasonably prohibit these devices; reasonable rules (notice, fire or overload, location) are allowed. In a common-interest community, an owner installing on their unit or its own patio, deck or balcony can be required to secure the device, cover liability and costs, and indemnify the association (§ 40-2-140(7)). |
| Codes and liability | Installation must follow fire code and local building codes (§ 40-2-140(9)). The utility isn’t liable for damage or injury from the device (§ 40-2-140(8)). |
| Meter collar adapters | The Public Utilities Commission must adopt rules by December 31, 2026 for approving customer-owned adapters certified to UL 414. |
In the law’s words
Short excerpts from HB 26-1007, Session Laws 2026, Chapter 127 (C.R.S. § 40-2-140); new text, printed in capitals in the session law, shown in normal case, quoted as written and checked word for word against the official text on October 13, 2026; each with what it means for a plug-in design.
11 excerpts with what each means
- Size
“‘Portable-scale solar generation device’ or ‘device’ means a single photovoltaic system per address and associated equipment that: (I) is designed or commissioned to supply a maximum power output of not more than one thousand nine hundred twenty watts to the electric grid”
§ 40-2-140(1)(e)(I)One system per address, up to 1,920 W to the grid. - Certification
“(II) is labeled and listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.”
§ 40-2-140(1)(e)(II)Labeled and listed by a testing lab. - Outage protection
“A portable-scale solar generation device must include a feature that prevents the device from energizing the electric grid during a power outage.”
§ 40-2-140(2)Outage shutoff required. - Outlets
“A customer that uses a portable-scale solar generation device shall not connect more than one device to a single wall outlet per address.”
§ 40-2-140(3)One device per outlet. - Utility approval and fees
“…shall not require a customer to: (I) obtain the provider's approval before installing or using…; (II) pay the provider a fee related to a portable-scale solar generation device; or (III) install any additional controls or equipment…”
§ 40-2-140(4)(a)No approval, device fee or extra equipment. - Notice
“…may require a customer to notify the provider of the customer's use of a portable-scale solar generation device by indicating the presence and size of the device in kilowatts.”
§ 40-2-140(4)(b)The utility may ask for the device’s size. - 391 W exemption
“A portable-scale solar generation device that has a power output of not more than three hundred ninety-one watts is exempt from: (a) the solar photovoltaic installation requirements described in section 40-2-128; and (b) any building safety code provisions or product listing provisions that would require alterations to the building's electrical wiring.”
§ 40-2-140(5)The clean path: at 391 W or less, no installation-law rules and no code or listing rules that would force rewiring, so a standard outlet works. - Sale rule
“On and after January 1, 2027, a person shall not sell, lease, or rent a portable-scale solar generation device that has a power output of more than three hundred ninety-one watts in the state and is not UL labeled and listed.”
§ 40-2-140(6)From 2027, devices over 391 W must be UL labeled and listed to be sold, leased or rented. - HOAs and owners
“A person shall not directly or indirectly unreasonably prohibit the installation, use, or operation of a portable-scale solar generation device;”
§ 40-2-140(7)(a)From January 1, 2027, no unreasonable bans. - Utility liability
“…is not liable for any damage or injury caused by a portable-scale solar generation device.”
§ 40-2-140(8)The utility isn’t liable. - Codes
“The installation of a portable-scale solar generation device must be in accordance with fire code requirements and applicable local building codes that pertain to health and safety.”
§ 40-2-140(9)Fire and local building codes still apply.
What it means for your design
- Do the circuit math above 1,200 W. Code treats inverter output as continuous and sizes the circuit at 125% of it (NEC 705.28). 1,920 W at 120 V is 16 A; 125% of that is 20 A. A full 1,920 W system needs a dedicated 20 A circuit, and a 15 A general-purpose outlet isn’t enough.
- The 391 W line is the simplest path: a device at or under 391 W (Hoymiles HiFlow Pro 391 LV, or a larger inverter set to 391 W) is exempt from installation and rewiring rules.
- Above 391 W, plan on a licensed electrician. HB 26-1007 exempts only devices of 391 W or less from C.R.S. 40-2-128, which puts AC-side work in the hands of a licensed electrical contractor (our reading). Colorado utilities read it the same way: La Plata Electric, for example, tells members that systems between 391 and 1,920 W require a licensed electrician.
- One device per outlet and one system per address: two inverters on two outlets would be two devices but still one system, so the 1,920 W total applies to both together.
- Buying in 2027 or later? Anything over 391 W has to be UL labeled and listed to be sold, leased or rented in Colorado.
Designs that fit, and one that doesn’t
The engineering behind it
Why the circuit matters as much as the law, in four short points.
Circuit current, continuous output, outdoor outlets, AC vs panel watts
Why the circuit matters. A plug-in inverter pushes current into a branch circuit from the outlet end. The breaker in your panel only sees the current coming from the panel, not what the inverter adds. With other loads on the same circuit, part of the wire can carry the breaker’s full rating plus the inverter’s output without anything tripping. At 1,200 W the inverter adds 10 A at 120 V. That’s why we recommend a dedicated circuit for any plug-in system, even where the law doesn’t require one.
Continuous output. Code treats inverter output as continuous and sizes the circuit at 125% of it (NEC 705.28): 1,200 W is 10 A, times 1.25 is 12.5 A, which fits a 15 A circuit. Anything over 1,440 W needs a 20 A circuit.
Outdoors. Outdoor receptacles need GFCI protection (NEC 210.8) and an in-use weatherproof cover (NEC 406.9).
AC, not panel watts. These laws limit what the inverter puts out, not what the panels are rated for. You can put more panel on a small inverter; it trims the brightest hours and fills out the rest of the day. The Designer models that trimming hour by hour.
Questions
Is plug-in solar legal in Colorado?
Yes. HB 26-1007 took effect August 12, 2026, allowing one system per address up to 1,920 W.
Do I need an electrician for plug-in solar in Colorado?
Not for devices of 391 W or less. Above 391 W, plan on it: the law exempts only devices of 391 W or less from Colorado’s solar installation law (C.R.S. 40-2-128), which requires AC-side work by a licensed electrical contractor and on-site supervision by a NABCEP-certified PV professional or a licensed electrician.
Can I plug 1,920 W into a regular outlet?
Not safely on a standard 15 A circuit. 1,920 W is 16 A at 120 V, and code sizes the circuit at 125% of continuous output, which is 20 A. Plan a dedicated 20 A circuit.